Watertight closure for plastic bags



Dec- 2, N, SCARRITT, JR

WATERTIGHT CLOSURE FOR PLASTIC BAGS Filed April 29, 1968 United States Patent 3,481,007 WATERTIGHT CLOSURE FOR PLASTIC BAGS Nathan Scarritt, Jr., 4722 W. 77th Place, Prairie Village, Kans. 66208 Filed Apr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 724,719 Int. Cl. B65d 77/14 US. Cl. 2430.5 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bag closing unit has two elongated members held relatively telescoped at all times by interconnecting structure at one end of the unit arranged to maintain an eccentricity at such end capable of squeezing on the bag so as to preclude dislodgment of the unit. A number of improvements are included to ease the task of slipping the unit into place across the bag adjacent its mouth. Moreover, various cross-sectional configurations are suggested for the members to assure a waterand airtight fit.

An important object of the instant invention is to provide a unitary bag closure of improved nature in that it is easy to apply to the bag, yet capable of assuring the desired seal and, at the same time, will not become easily dislodged. 1

Another important object of my present invention is the provision of a bag closing unit having a pair of permanently telescoped members between which a loop in the bag is slipped endwise, the interconnection being such that the loop is tightly squeezed and, therefore, held in place between the members at their interconnected ends.

Other important objects of the present invention include numerous features for improving the bag sealing effect and for facilitating mounting of the unit on the bag.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a watertight closure for plastic bags made in accordance with my present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a scale smaller than FIG. 1, showing the bag fragmentarily and illustrating the manner of mounting the closing unit on the bag;

' FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the.unit in place on the bag;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 taken remote from the closed end of the unit, the bag being omitted; and

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views similar to FIG. 6, illustrating four additional modifications of my invention.

Bag closing unit 12 shown in FIGS. 1-6 inclusive of the drawing includes an elongated sleeve member 14 receiving in telescoped relationship thereto a longer tubular core member 16, the sleeve member 14 having a longitudinal slit 18 throughout its length.

The cylindrical members 14 and 16 are permanently maintained in their telescoping relationship by interconnecting structure, such as a wall 20, integral with members 14 and 16 at one end of the unit 12 and closing the proximal ends of the members 14 and 16, both of such ends being flush with wall 20.

At the opposite end of the unit 12 the core member 16 has a length 22 which projects outwardly beyond the proximal end of the sleeve member 14, such proximal end of the sleeve member 14 having an annular internal chamfer 24. Additionally, the outermost end of the 3,481,007 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 length 22 of the core member 16 is provided with an annular external chamfer 26.

The sleeve member 14 may also optionally be provided exteriorly thereof with manually manipulable means (shown only in FIG. 6) in the nature of a pair of ears 28 for opening the slit 18 when the unit 12 is to be applied to bag 30 adjacent its mouth. This is accomplished by finger squeezing of the ears 28 toward each other and, to this end, ears 28 may extend longitudinally of the sleeve member 14 throughout its length or the ears 28 may be shortened as desired, the primary location for cars 28 being at least adjacent the chamfer 24.

When the unit 12 is to be applied to bag 30, a loop 32 is formed in bag 30 and threaded over the length 22 of the core member 16, chamfer 26 facilitating such insertion of the core member 16 into the loop 32. Thereupon, while bag 30 is held with four layers of bag material overlapped, as is clear in FIG. 5, the loop 32 is caused to enter the sleeve member 14 :by relative endwise movement of the unit 12 and the loop 32 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. Here again, the chamfer 24 presents an enlarged mouth for the sleeve member 14 to facilitate entry of the loop 32 into sleeve member 14 and in surrounding relationship to the core member 16. If, at the same time, the slit 18 is held open by use of the ears 28, the unit 12 slips easily and quickly into place because of the fact, as seen in FIG. 5, that the inside diameter of the sleeve member 14 is appreciably greater than the outside diameter of the loop 32.

However, the interconnecting structure between the members 14 and 16 in the nature of wall 20 holds the two members 14 and 16 sufficiently eccentric relatively at the closed end of unit 12 to tightly squeeze the loop 32 between members 14 and 16 at the wall 20.

While the core member 16 is free to move radially with respect to sleeve member 14 at the length 22 of core member 16, as is clear in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, the Wall 20 not only prevents relative axial movement between the members 14 and 16 but maintains core member 16 rather close to the inner wall of sleeve member 14 as, for example, at the slit 18, as is clear in FIG. 5. If desired then, the distance between the members 16 and 18 at the wall 20 may be less than two layers of bag material so as to elfect a tight squeeze on the loop 32 between members 14 and 16 at wall 20. Moreover, the slit 18 is desirably quite narrow so that when the ears 28 are released, the sleeve member 14 will tightly grip the four overlapped layers of bag material at the slit 18, as is clear in FIG. 5.

Each of the units 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d of FIGS. 7-10 inclusive is also provided with an elongated, essentiallly cylindrical sleeve member 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d respectively. Moreover, each of these four sleeve members is provided with a longitudinally extending slit 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d respectively. Furthermore, sleeve members are provided with inner core members 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d held eccentrically at one end of the unit by walls 20a, 20b, 20c and 200! respectively.

Although not shown in the drawing, each core member of FIGS. 7-10 inclusive has an extended length 22 and a chamfer as at 26 in FIG. 4. And the sleeve members of FIGS. 7-10 may also, if desired, each be provided with ears as at 28 in FIG. 6 as well as chamfers as at 26, all in a manner similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-6 inclusive.

The core members 16a and are tubular as is the case of the core member 16 but the core members 16b and 16d are shown as being solid, although they could be tubular. As distinguished from core member 16, however, the core members 16a and 161: are provided with longitudinal openings 33a and 33c respectively extending along and facing the slits 18a and respectively.

3 On the other hand, the core members 1617 and 16d are provided with longitudinal depression 34b and 34d respectively in facing relationship to the corresponding slits 18b and 18d.

Sleeve member 14a has a pair of longitudinally extending inwardly projecting flanges 36a at the slit 18a which enter the core member 16a between a pair of longitudinally extending ribs 38a on the core member 16a at its opening 33a.

In much the same manner sleeve member 140 has a pair of longitudinally extending, inwardly projecting flanges 360 at the slit 180 which enter the core member 16c through the opening 330. The flanges 36c terminate in enlarged, longitudinally extending lips 40c within the core member 16c.

In FIG. 8 sleeve member 1417 has a pair of longitudinally extending, inwardly projecting flanges 3612 at the slit 18b which enter the depression 34b. And in FIG. 10, the sleeve member 14d has a pair of longitudinally extending, inwardly projecting flanges 36d at the slit 18d in opposed relationship to the depression 34d. The slits 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d are accordingly located between their corresponding flanges. In FIG. 8 the core member 16b has a longitudinally extending recess 41b in opposed relationship to its depression 34b and the sleeve member 14b is provided with a corresponding longitudinally extending ridge 42b in spaced relationship to the recess 41b. Except for the depression 34b and the recess 41b the core member 16b is transversely circular, presenting a pair of opposed, transversely convex surfaces 44b. In FIG. 10, on the other hand, the core member 16d has a single transversely convex surface 44d throughout its length in opposed relationship to the concave depression 34a.

The manner of associating the units 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d with a bag 30 is the same as above described with respect to the unit 12 and need not be repeated. In each case the configurations of the sleeve members and the core members of FIGS. 7-10 inclusive are such as to effectively seal the bag so as to render it waterand airtight. For example, in FIG. 7, the loop in the bag becomes interleaved between the flanges 36a and the ribs 38a with the four layers of bag material passing through the slot 18a between the flanges 36a, the somewhat serpentine interleaving of the bag loop within the sleeve member 14a, as well as within the core member 16a providing the desired seal. Yet, because of the relatively large internal diameter of the sleeve member 14a as compared with the outside diameter of the core member 16a the unit 12a can be easily and quickly slipped into place. Nonetheless, the unit 12a will not become easily dislodged because of the eccentricity between the members 14a and 16a, causing tight squeezing of the bag loop between ribs 38a and flanges 36a at the wall 20a.

In FIG. 8 the bag loop becomes taut across the four ribs 38b presented by the recess 41b and the depression 34b of core member 1612, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the seal. Then, as the loop of the bag is squeezed tightly between flanges 36b and depression 34b at the wall 2%, the tightness of the bag loop across the two pairs of ribs 38b will be increased to prevent dislodgment of the unit 1212 from the sealed bag.

Much the same effect is accomplished in FIG. 9 where it can be seen that the bag loop becomes threaded through the opening 330 into the core member 160 around the lips 400 of flanges 36c before the four layers of bag material pass through the slit 18c of the sleeve member 140.

In FIG. the flanges 36d cooperate with depression 34d and ribs 38d in much the same manner as in the modification illustrated in FIG. 8.

In all forms of my invention the outer sleeves are beveled at the slit inlets to present enlarged mouths, as at 46 in FIG. 1, to aid in the threading of the four bag layers into the slits. And, in each modification, the material chosen for construction is somewhat flexible, such as plastic, to the end particularly that the bag will be gripped tightly along the slit and at the closed end of the closure unit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A bag closing unit comprising a pair of members constantly maintained in telescoping relationship and including in combination:

an elongated, longitudinal flexible core member adapted to extend transversely across one face of a bag at its mouth, and around which member the bag is wrapped, presenting a loop circumscribing the member, with four overlapped layers of bag material extending along the member longitudinally of the latter; an elongated, transversely flexible sleeve member surrounding the loop and provided with a longitudinal slit receiving said layers, the width of said slit being less than the composite thickness of said layers received therein, the inside diameter of the sleeve member being greater than the outside diameter of said loop to facilitate insertion of the loop in the sleeve member around the core member; and a wall closing said one end of the sleeve member, the end of the core member proximal to the wall being permanently secured to the latter around the entire periphery of the core member.

2. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1,

the opposite end of the sleeve member having an internal chamfer for facilitating insertion of said loop between the members endwise thereof toward said one end of the sleeve member.

3. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1,

the opposite end of the sleeve member having an internal chamfer and that end of the core member proximal to said opposite end of the sleeve member having an external chamfer for facilitating insertion of said loop between the members endwise thereof toward said one end of the sleeve member.

4. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1,

said core member projecting beyond the sleeve member at the opposite end of the latter to facilitate insertion of said loop between the members endwise thereof toward said one end of the sleeve member.

5. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1,

and manually manipulable means on the sleeve member exteriorly thereof in opposed relation to its slit for opening the latter.

6. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1, said core member being tubular.

7. A bag closure as set forth in claim 6,

said core member having a longitudinal opening,

said sleeve member having a pair of longitudinal flanges extending radially inwardly into said opening at said one end of the sleeve member,

said slit being between the flanges.

8. A bag closure as set forth in claim 7,

said core member having a pair of spaced, longitudinal ribs along said opening,

the flanges being between the ribs.

9. A bag closure as set forth in claim 7,

each flange having an enlarged, longitudinal lip within the core member.

10. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1,

said core member being solid and having a longitudinal depression facing the slit,

said sleeve member having a pair of longitudinal flanges extending radially inwardly into the depression at said one end of the sleeve member,

said slit being between the flanges.

11. A bag closure as set forth in claim 10,

said core member having alongitudinally extending,

5 transversely concave recess in opposed relation to the depression thereof,

said sleeve member having an internal, longitudinally extending, transversely convex ridge projecting inwardly toward said recess.

12. A bag closure as set forth in claim 10,

said core member having a single transversely convex surface throughout its length in opposed relation to said depression.

13. A bag closure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said core member is located in closure relationship to the portion of said sleeve member having said slit therein ham to the opposed portion thereof,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stouder.

Hart.

Pippert 22965 Binkley.

Faulls 24-305 Song 22962 Switzerland.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

